Strangely enough, the first elected President of the organization that would become the Jehovah’s Witnesses, was not exclusively a “Witness” at all. William Henry Conley was a resident of Pittsburgh, a big-hearted man who loved to give to the work of the Lord or any good cause that touched his heart. In his lifetime he helped the new Witnesses, the Christian Missionary Alliance movement, an orphanage-school for African Americans, and a local hospital. His income was from the industrial world and was evidently considerable.

The Conleys opened their home (nicknamed “Bethel”) often to prayer meetings and Christian events. One such event was a yearly meeting of the Witness-style communion service, still in its infancy and nurtured by Conley with finances and other support. This support brought to Conley the first official Presidency of the new “Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society” in 1881. (Charles Taze Russell was the Watch Tower Society's first Secretary/Treasurer, and his father, Joseph Russell, was the Society's first Vice-President.)

Conley held this position for three years, after which the Society was incorporated, renamed, and presided over by Charles Taze Russell, whose theology would shape the movement.

It was Conley who donated about 70% of the first $5000.00 needed to get things going. Russell’s dad came up with $1000.00, followed by Russell himself at $500.00 Hence the offices given out.

There were only 5 people total in that original coming together. The two Conleys, Charles, his sister, and his father. Both families belonged to an Adventist Christian group, with whom they both split and formed their own group in Conley’s home.

Conley’s faith in Russell began to waver as he saw some of Russell’s predictions fail (more on failed prophecy elsewhere). He began to wonder if he should continue to contribute great amounts of money to this new division. He also showed a preference for Trinitarian teachings, and certain prophetic men of the day, over Russell’s new teachings and failed prophecies.

It is reported in some places that Conley joined a Presbyterian church later in his life. This may be true, but he also helped the new and growing Christian and Missionary Alliance. He was a seeker after Truth, and a man who desired to bless the people of God, whatever their label. Though he was deceived by Russell for a short time, he moved on, and we thank God for it!

Because of this defection, the Russell-directed Watchtower publications have not honored him through the years. In fact, slander was the first order of the day, as Russell and others have had to do to justify the leaving of prominent men. But history is clear. Conley was indeed their first President, a significant donor, and one who opened his home and his heart to much of the new ideas being presented.

Perhaps Mr. Conley left voluntarily, or perhaps he was an early victim of the very common practice among later JW people of “dis-fellowshipping” (excommunicating) members who do not tow the party line.

Though the Watchtower literature, governed by Russell early on, refused even to print an obituary of their deceased former colleague, that job was done nicely by the other Christian group he helped by his generosity to found, in Pittsburgh:

It is with deep sorrow that we are called upon to record the death of one of our most valued fellow-laborers in ______, and one of the few princely Christian merchants we have in our ____. We refer to Mr. Henry Conley, of Pittsburg, Pa., who passed away at his home in Pittsburg on Sabbath evening, July 25th, after a brief illness of only about a month. Indeed, he was only confined to his room about a week before the end. Mr. Conley was a business man of very high standing in Pittsburg, and a vast concourse of his fellow citizens gathered at his funeral to pay their last tribute of respect and affection to his memory. The funeral services were conducted at his home in Pittsburg by Rev. [Founder], Rev [Board Member], Rev. [Board Member], and Rev. [___], of Pittsburg, who referred in appropriate terms to his high character and great usefulness.

Mr. Conley was an earnest and loyal member of _____ and one of the leading officers of _____. The remarkable progress which the ______ work during the past two years was largely due to his untiring labors and his wise and earnest counsels. He carried the spirit of business enterprise into his Christian work and did nothing by halves. He was one of the few Barnabases of the church and it is easier to supply a dozen preachers than one such whole-hearted Christ-filled business man. But God remains and He is equal to every need.

Mr. Conley's heart was much in the work of [evangelizing], and his spontaneous liberality has largely helped to keep in operation the blessed [evangelizing] which has been so successfully carried on by our _____ friends in Pittsburg.

But his heart had also caught the Master's greater thought for the evangelization of the world. And he has been for many years in the very front of the great missionary movement. Many years ago he supplied the means for planting the present ____ mission in Jerusalem, and he sustained [the missionary's] work up to the close of his death. He was a member of the Board [of the national organization]. He has been from an early day one of the official Board [of their seminary] and took the deepest interest in its welfare.

He leaves a wife, who has long been the sharer of his Christian hopes and plans, to take up the broken thread and finish his life and hers. We are sure the blessed Master will both sustain and use her.

The inspiration of Mr. Conley's life and the theme of his constant testimony was the coming of the Lord Jesus. As our loved ones leave us how earnestly we long for that blessed morn to break on the night of earth and time.

We are very sure that our beloved brethren in Pennsylvania will take up and carry on the work in their State with un-slackened zeal, and that God will still prove that while He may bury the workers the work will still go on.

The blanks in the above piece are easily filled in by the followingselection from Wikipedia, identifying this group, a denomination that may be a bit reticent to acknowledge its illustrious founder also, since he had earlier connections with the Watchtower’s beginnings. But again, facts are facts:

Conley was a member of the board of managers of the non-denominational Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), and was instrumental in funding and organizing it at local, state and national levels through the International Missionary Alliance (IMA) In 1889, Conley funded and organized the CMA mission in Jerusalem under control of his home mission which would later come under the auspices of the IMA and eventually the CMA. In the same year, the International Missionary Alliance was legally incorporated with W. H. Conley's $5000 contribution. The Pittsburgh branch of the Christian and Missionary Alliance was formally established in 1894. Conley was elected president of both the Pittsburgh branch and at the state level, an office which he retained until his death in 1897.